Swan Robots Check For Pollution

If you see some beautiful swans swimming in Singapore, don’t try to feed them. They might just be robotic swans skimming the water body for signs of pollution. These elegant looking bird like robots were built by researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Environmental Research Institute and the Tropical Marine Science Institute.

They identify the physical and biological components found in fresh water and then pass on the data via a wireless connection to a website. Then the data is studied by researchers to analyse the findings. The whole process is automated to a great degree. The Swan robots also do not need to be directed to swim in the water body as they can travel autonomously for hours at a time.

The elegant posture and pure white feathers of the swan robots have been kept on purpose to ensure that the swans blend in with the natural environment. The participants of this science project look most authentic if you only look at them from the top, below the water the propellers and instruments used to measure the water will fast rob you of the opinion that they are nothing more than birds out for a swim. They even use GPS technology to specifically visit areas of the reservoir that they have been instructed to.